This was my first time experimenting with falafel, and although the patties did not stay together as I had hoped, they stilled tasted wicked good. It doesn’t matter what your food looks like, just how it tastes, right? >>> actually, if any of you dolls have tips on how to make those patties stay together, I am all ears! <<<

Instead of using pita for the falafel, I opted for steamed kale to make a huge, restaurant worthy salad. I had been wanting to try these beets out and it just so happened that they paired perfectly with the whole production. My stomach was happy, and I will certainly be making this dinner again soon

Baked Falafel Burgers:

Ingredients

– 1 Bundle Fresh Parsley

– 3 Large Garlic Cloves

– Juice of 1 Large Lemon

– Salt & Pepper to taste

– 1 1/4 teaspoon Cumin

– 15 oz Garbonzo Beans

– 1/2 Cup Ground Walnuts, Pecans, Almonds, or Gluten Free Oat Flour

– Optional Toppings : Garlic Dill Sauce, Diced Tomato, Lettuce, Onion, Olives, Peta (if you wanted to eat it more of a burger style), greens of your choice

Directions

• Add walnuts, pecans, almonds, or oat flour to food processor and chop. set aside in separate bowl
• Add parsley, garlic, lemon, cumin, salt, and pepper to food processor. Mix to combine
• Add garbonzo beans and pulse until incorporated but still slightly chunky…you want to maintain a little bit of texture
• Transfer to mixing bowl and add nuts and mix again until a loose dough is formed that is firm enough to be handled
• Form patties roughly 1/2 inch thick
• Place patties on foil lined baking sheet and refrigerate or freeze for at least 15 minutes to firm
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Bake 30 – 40 minutes, flipping over at the halfway point for even cooking…the longer you bake them the firmer they will get
• The patties will store in the refrigerator for several days, or freeze to keep longer

Garlic Herb Sauce:

Ingredients

– 1/4 Cup Hummus or Tahini

– Juice of 1/2 Lemon

– 1 teaspoon Dried Dill

– 3 Cloves Garlic, minced

– Water to thin

– Optional : Sea Salt to taste

Directions

• Add all ingredients to mixing bowl and whisk to combine, only adding enough water to thin so it’s pourable
• *** I added a good amount of water because I like this sauce more thin than not

My cooking baby always insists on laying right under my feet! 

Roasted Beets with Balsamic Glaze:

Ingredients

– Beets (I used 1 bundle)

– 1/2 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

– 1 Tablespoon Honey or Maple Syrup

– Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Scrub outside of beets, then wrap each beet in aluminum foil. Place foil wrapped beets on a baking sheet and bake 50 – 60 minutes or until beets are soft when pierced with a fork
• Remove beets from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes
• Meanwhile, heat vinegar, honey or syrup, salt, and pepper in small saucepan over medium – high heat
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thick and bubbly ~ 3 minutes
• Rub off the outside of beets, or use a sharp vegetable peeler (I need to get one!)
• Slice the peeled beets, layer on a platter, then drizzle with the glaze before serving. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired

*** Place your greens on a plate, add your falafel, toppings of choice, garlic herb sauce, and roasted beets and you are good to go!

After dinner I was able to take Onyx boy on a nice long walk around the neighborhood … we do not want summer to end ❤